£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Treadingonplaymobil

Ooh, good news. Just phoned HMRC - you might remember there was a problem with my 30 hours childcare application. I assumed I had missed the chance to get it for this term as the letter asking me to call came while we were away so I didn't call before the 31st August deadline. This meant I would be liable to everything over 15 hours childcare at the preschool. But HMRC said that because I applied before the deadline I am still eligible, so just need to confirm that with the preschool and fingers crossed all will be well. It means I won't be spending an extra £140 a month to cover the extra hours on top of the free 15 hours everyone gets, which takes a tiny bit of the huge pressure off for this month! Hurrah!

Cherryfudge

That's brilliant! £140 is useful money!

Treadingonplaymobil

I so nearly didn't bother phoning, as I assumed the problem would be that I needed to do my tax return before I could be confirmed as earning enough and that it wouldn't be quick enough to kick in for this term. Always worth checking these things!

Busy_Mee1

Glad you phoned HMRC was going to suggest that you did because you had made your claim before the deadline.

I also wanted to say how much I have enjoyed your diary and it is great to see how much progress you have made.

The debt free journey is very much a process and you will learn how to save money to suit you and your family, but it takes quite a lot of trial and error. I think you are now at the point where you have trimmed all the easy stuff, but you have now got to challenge yourself a bit harder.

So, a few suggestions from me:

Sort your phones out- we only pay SIM only (£10 and £12 per month for our two phones) You are paying £70 a month more - think what you could do with £70 a month extra. I am guessing they are still in contract, but ring your provider to see if there is any way of reducing the cost now, if not diary the month before your contract ends to cancel and switch to SIM only.

If your phone is used largely for work, shouldn't it be a business expense ?

Food Bill - look critically at what you are buying. We all get into the habit of buying the same things. I was regularly spending a tenner a week on soft fruit, a couple of packs of blueberries, grapes, raspberries and strawberries. I have stopped buying them now and have replaced with cheaper fruits, apples, pears, raisins in my cereal, tinned mandarins etc. You seem to buy quite a lot of luxury foods, seeds, avocados etc. You could cut these out for a while, particular while you have the free plums and apples.

I also work my meal plans around Aldi Super 6 and L!dls weekend.

I pad out meals with cheap tins of beans ( think you probably already do this) However my magic incredient is tinned potatoes- horrid on their own but gorgeous in spicy curries, patatas bravas etc.

I also pad out salads with grated carrots and home grown herbs

I use feta, and mozzarella cheese as cheap alternatives for lunchbox salads

Not sure whether you would use chorizo, but adds cheap flavour to lots of dishes.

You also need to think critically about some of your other outgoings, the national trust, Netflix and your audio book subscription are all nice to have, rather than essential. Try cancelling them for a month and see if you really miss them ? You might be surprised and it might spur you on to find free alternatives. You could always rejoin if you find that you really miss them.

I also question the £150 for entertainment, you just can't afford this for this month and will be effectively be increasing your debt if you spend money on this you don't have. Could you not try and have a family challenge to only spend £20 per week or better still nothing ?

As I said this is all trial and error, as you work out what you can do without and what you can't. Hope this helps and will keep reading with interest to see how you get on :T

Busy_Mee1

The other thing I forgot to mention was gifts. We stopped all gift buying for anyone other than family. I just let people know that I was going to do it in advance. You could just say to your friends that you are saving up for the extension so are cutting back, and of course you expect them to do the same. I actually found that most people were pretty relieved as we had all got into rounds of buying each other gifts, which just added pressure to us all.

Treadingonplaymobil

Well it looks like the Audible subscription might be able to go - our library seems to have this online audiobook lending thing, and DH is going to investigate on Saturday with the DCs.

Didn't get to speak to preschool today to confirm funding thing, but will pop in tomorrow to sort it out. Assume that if HMRC are okaying it that it's going to be fine though!

Ordered a lunchbox for DC1 today so I can start packed lunches next week for him too.

More website stress today. Slightly losing the will to live with it and it's really affecting my mood.

BUT did cheer myself up by decluttering and tidying my entire dining room, which is now a lovely peaceful haven - it's where I do my yoga in the morning, so I really get extra benefit when it's calm and clean and lovely. Rumours that I sat and meditatively sharpened pencils and organised my DCs' craft supplies have been grossly exaggerated. :rotfl: :rotfl:

to do today
1. packed lunch for DC3. Done.
2. clean the dining room. Done.
3. bake sourdough. Done.
4. make pudding for family meeting tonight. Done. Really didn't turn out well,
but the DC were uncomplaining. Enough ice cream and anything is edible
5. make a quiche. half done, need to make filling tomorrow.
6. plan dressing up costume with DC3 for next week - would quite like not to spend any money on this, so need to think it through. Not done.
7. Balance the couple of credit card spends I have already made this month. Done. Depressing but not horrifying.

to do this week
1. plan DS1's birthday party. Done, invitations out.
2. get the house tidy and decluttered ready for new term at school. Not exactly done ready for the new term, but at least I've made a start.
3. start a list of camping supplies that need replacing/repairing for next year - will be much better to do that in stages over the winter than in one big spend next May.
4. have a look at last month's food spends and see where improvements can be made.
5. make some packed lunch supplies and freeze for DC3, who will now have lunch at preschool 3 days a week.

to do this month
1. keep the total spend for the month below £3,500 (last month was miles better than the previous average £3,900, going to try to repeat the feat).
2. get my new website finished and launched (crosses fingers, toes and eyes).
3. just work as much as possible and make some money back to recover the enormous shortfall that faces us this month!

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 30: Day 6

Morning! Not much planned for today as have DC3 with me. Lots of work to get on with when DH gets home from work later though.

Feeling a bit rough this morning, headache and runny nose. Have decided I am not at home to having a cold. Mind over matter people.

to do today
1. finish the quiche.
2. declutter and clean the sitting room.
3. plan dressing up costume with DC3 for next week- he wants to be a grasshopper. sigh.
4. clear some work admin stuff.
5. book trampolining for DC1's party.

to do this week
1. plan DS1's birthday party. Done, invitations out.
2. get the house tidy and decluttered ready for new term at school. Not exactly done ready for the new term, but at least I've made a start.
3. start a list of camping supplies that need replacing/repairing for next year - will be much better to do that in stages over the winter than in one big spend next May.
4. have a look at last month's food spends and see where improvements can be made.
5. make some packed lunch supplies and freeze for DC3, who will now have lunch at preschool 3 days a week.

to do this month
1. keep the total spend for the month below £3,500 (last month was miles better than the previous average £3,900, going to try to repeat the feat).
2. get my new website finished and launched (crosses fingers, toes and eyes).
3. just work as much as possible and make some money back to recover the enormous shortfall that faces us this month!

Narola1976

Some real positives in your posts...great going on only spending £37 on your food shop and the £140 for child care. Good job also on the audio book library. You are doing so well. But I can also see you are doing a lot...I get exhausted just reading them lol. Do try and slow down every now and then and just relax. A little bit of self TLC goes a long way.

Suffolk_lass

I was just going to say well done for resolving that call with HMRC. Is that a one-month unexpected boost or a term thing?

Re your camping supplies - I am currently checking the GoOutdoors web pages to see what they have for either clearance or end of season. This month is a tad early but I know what I am after and I don't want to pay full price. There are a few small tents and groundsheets for specific tents at the moment but between now and March I expect what I'm looking for to come up. Is that a similar approach to yours? - I know what I want and I know I have to get it. I just don't want to do a one-off compare and just take that price.

I saw a cold box that connects to a car power socket at the end of August in our local hardware store, mentioned it to husband and he bought it! - We're going to use it for weekend camping but I'm going to put my items for the freezer/ fridge in it for my supermarket shopping in the meantime so it is in the boot, ready to plug in. It's meant to keep stuff 15 degrees below ambient temperature, and you still have the option with freezer packs to start you off. I hope it works OK.

We already had a gas camping "fridge" but it is too big for our small tent (and they are close to £200 while the power-box was £30!).

You are welcome to have a little vent re the web-site BTW - it does seem to have been going on for a while. You know we will empathise, even if we can't help

brizzledfw

You're doing brilliantly..keep plugging away..

x